When I take my daily walks I breathe deeply, soak in the sunshine—when there is any—and snoop at other people’s gardens and landscaping. In my suburb I see a lot of conventional good taste on display. There is nothing wrong with that and it beats trash-strewn lots any day. However, amid all the conventional good taste, there are occasional revelations—entire landscapes or even small beds that stand out because they are unique and artistic.
I saw such a layout the other day and it has stayed in my mind because it was perfect for the season and the setting. This piece of garden perfection was a medium size border, probably about fifteen feet long, dominated by two plants, blue mist shrub or Caryopteris x clandonensis and a pink-flowered variety of tall sedum or Hylotelephium. The sedum clumps and the blue mist shrubs were approximately the same height, but the stiff, upright sedum contrasted nicely with the more relaxed, rounded habit of the blue mist. Both plants were at their seasonal best. The blue mist shrub was covered with puffs of tiny sky-blue flowers and the sedums adorned themselves with large, flat-topped cymes or flowerheads of dusty rose. Both attracted large numbers of bees and butterflies.
Sedums are ultra-fashionable right now and most gardeners are familiar with the old standard, ‘Autumn Joy’. Developed in Germany, ‘Autumn Joy’ stands between fourteen and eighteen inches tall, with thick, fleshy stems and leaves. Those leaves are roughly oval-shaped and slightly toothed. The flowerheads, which are made up of small individual flowers, start out pale green in the summer and darken gradually to pale pink, darker pink and finally brick red. When they reach that stage, you can also cut them to use for dried arrangements in the winter. I suspect that the sedum I saw on my walk was most likely ‘Autumn Joy’.
Its companion, the blue mist shrub, was probably an example of another garden favorite, ‘Longwood Blue’. Developed at the celebrated Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, ‘Longwood Blue’ grows between two and three feet tall and wide. Like many members of the mint or Labiatae family, blue mist shrub features pleasantly aromatic leaves. The aromatic quality of the foliage is probably what keeps the deer from eating it—a definite plus in deer-besieged suburbia.
Caryopteris is deciduous, so its toothed leaves provide a cooling touch of green in the summer, set off the flowers later on and depart the scene when frost rolls around. The only disadvantage to the blue mist/tall sedum combo is that both are slow to get started in the spring. However, this could be remedied by under planting the bed or border with lots of spring-flowering bulbs.
Tall sedum cultivars are numerous and a number of blue mist shrub varieties are also available, so if you like the idea of the caryopteris/sedum combination, you can choose among numerous variations that suits you. For example, some caryopteris, like ‘White Surprise’, feature variegated foliage, edged in cream. For a bit of drama, pair it with ‘Red Cauli’ sedum, adorned with dark red flowerheads. To lighten things up, combine Caryopteris ‘Lisaura’, which features golden-green leaves, with Hylotelephium ‘Brilliant’, a variety that sports extra large, bright pink blooms. For a blue and white combination, try ‘Hab Gray’ sedum, with large white flowerheads and ‘Beyond Midnight Blue’, which has the darkest blue flowers of any caryopteris.
For those who grow their gardens in containers, the caryopteris/sedum combination is still possible. Most blue mist shrubs top out at between two and three feet tall. Plant the blue mist of your choice in a large pot and prune back hard in the spring. The plants, which bloom on new wood, will flower in late summer/early fall, as always, but will stay at about two feet tall. Pair with pots of shorter-stemmed sedum varieties, like good old ‘Autumn Joy’, at fourteen to eighteen inches tall or ‘Blade Runner’, with red-purple flowers on red stems. It rises to between twelve and eighteen inches tall.
Sedum and caryopteris varieties thrive in the same conditions—full sun and relatively lean, well-drained soil. I grow mine in clay soil amended with organic material and they do fine. They would be finer without the tender ministrations of Mr. Antlers, who enjoys sedum whenever he can. It’s possible that interplanting sedum with the deer-repellent caryopteris might make the voracious Antlers clan less interested. It’s worth the experiment. Lay in a supply of deer spray too—just to hedge your bets.
Tall sedums and blue mist shrub are an easy-care, extremely attractive combination. Local nurseries frequently offer both at this time of year. For a broad selection, go to ForestFarm, 14643 Watergap Rd., Williams, OR 97544-9599; (541) 846-7269; www.forestfarm.com. Free print catalog. Sedum varieties are abundant at Bluestone Perennials, 7211 Middle Ridge Road, Madison, OH 44057, (800) 852-5243, www.bluestoneperennials.com. Free catalog.